Tom DeLay’s definition of torture:
“I don’t think water boarding is torture. My definition of torture is you physically harm someone by cutting them, by cutting their fingers, sticking things in their eyes, sticking their fingers in electric sockets. Water boarding is a frightening experience. But the person does not have physical damage.”
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83 Responses to “Tom DeLay’s definition of torture:”
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Well, that seems a bit off, but if Tom Delay says so, then it must be so. We have no reason to doubt his knowledge or integrity.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:06 pmLord, I wish someone would waterboard him. Then he could truly decide if it is torture or not.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:06 pmWe need to remove these thugs from a postion of power on the National stage. It is absolutely essential for the survival of this country. We can do this by getting involved politically in large numbers. We have to.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:07 pmTorture is not just physical, but also phychological. Ask anyone who’s been a POW. Sen. McCain can attest to that. Even then Gov. Bush said that Sen. McCain had been mentally impacted by the physical and psychological torture he endured during Vietnam!
If Pres. Bush thought that Sen. McCain wasn’t up to the task in 2000, and Sen. McCain rolled over and took it like a whore, what makes him Presidential material now? Since Pres. Bush doens’t flip-flop (according to the liars in his administration), he’ll have to say that Sen. McCain is still mentally unfit for President in 2008 and beyond!
Heck, I’ve been under psychological torture just having to endure Rep. DeLay!
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:08 pmThe party of torture. That’s what the repubs have become. I hope all you conservatives are proud of yourselves.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:08 pmThat’s equivalent to the spouse that says “I never hit her [or him], so it’s not abuse”…jeez Tom! Torture is not just a physical thing!!! Psychological torture is torture is torture is torture ad infinitum.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:11 pmWhen you have no brain its hard to take into account psychological torture. I think that’s the problem he is having. That or total lack of morals.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:12 pmWho would Jesus waterboard?
Just an FYI Tom, being raped in prison only hurts the first 100 times. It also is NOT torture as it leaves no physical scars. Also you may want to bite the pillow. Have fun.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:12 pmTom is a “F”ing genius. I love the way he thinks through each of his arguments so thoroughly. He’s like a Texas Buddha. Bow to the intellectual might that is Tom Delay.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:13 pmthat’s not a very christian assessment
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:13 pm#2 you may be on to something. Just like they make police officers get “tazed” before they can use a tazer gun, we should make all politicians that want to waterboard suspects get a taste of it themselves. That way they can make an informed decision about whether or not it is torture.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:14 pmAll in favor or waterboarding Tom DeLay, please say YA BABY!!!
The kinder gentlercompassionate conservatism ten thousand points of light Republican party has been outted. They LOVE torture!!!
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:14 pmWhy would anyone listen to a fool like DeLay (or Cheney) who has had no experience of these things, at least on the receiving end? And why does DeLay (or Cheney) think anyone is listening to him?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:15 pmWho cares what some washed up criminal thinks?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:15 pmWell, sure, ‘cuz the Khmer Rougue wouldn’ta tortured people, would they?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:16 pmLet’s put Tom in a waterboard situation and “ooops” - just forget he’s there….
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:16 pmHey Citizen DeLay allow us to assist with your grammar.
“I do not think. Waterboarding is torture.”
There you go. We fixed it for you. Not much a historian are you Citizen DeLay, United States tried and convicted nazi soldiers following WWII for waterboading.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:16 pmI like Lynne’s thought.
If it’s not torture, Tom, let’s try it on you. After all, it’s merely a ‘frightening experience.” Kinda like a haunted house or scary movie.
No big deal, right?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:16 pmWhat the hell is this little weasel doing in front of a camera and getting attention?……Oh so sorry, I forgot, it’s election time, they are running scared on the reich so they will pay any one even dumbass delay to perform in their dog and pony show….He doe’s still have legal expenses to pay….Blessings
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:19 pmHow about spraying someone with cockroach juice?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:19 pmThis clown has obvious brain damage from applying pesticides without reading the warning label.
I can see everyone who sat in a POW camp in Vietnam saying “Can I have ten minutes with you, Mr DeLay?”
What an idiot. Is there anyone here who still thinks the Republicans are going to carry the election? Even when all they have to do is shut up and wait for the vote, they blow it. They don’t need an opposition. They need meds and a time-out.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:20 pmWhy would anyone care about anything Tom Delay says? The guy has NO credibility at all. None. Nada. Please don’t waste any more energy on him. He doesn’t matter.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:21 pmI wish DeLay would go on Letterman and get waterboarded just to show that it’s not torture.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:21 pmPlease, Tom. Pretty please demonstrate for us. In fact, why don’t you and all your Republican dumbass loudmouth buddies get together and have a contest. You can see which one of you will hold out the longest under waterboarding. I can’t wait to see that goofy f*cking grin on your face when you finally decide you’ve had enough. C’mon, Tom. It’s what Jesus would want you to do.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:22 pmbecause cutting off oxygen to the brain causes no harm at all!
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:24 pmI have worked in residential behavioral treatment centers where physical restraints and isolation were used as protective measures. Staff were required to experience these interventions as part of their training.
Any politician or military personnel supervising, performing, or even supporting these “harsh interrogation techniques” (i.e. torture) should have to experience those techniques.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:25 pmA lot of prisoners have died in American hands. They are dying at a much faster rate than demographics would suggest should be occurring for the population in question. What, if not torture, is killing so many prisoners?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:26 pm#11… excellent idea! then the vidieo clips can be leaked to the internetsss and show up on some FOX or VH1 special!
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:28 pmTom is one of those people who actually thinks the world cares about what he thinks. Since his fall from power, he is starved for attention, so he’s forced to spit out off-the-wall comments in order to get media attention (shame on the media) and pretend he has something important to contribute to the betterment of the world. The reality is that he is a small minded, selfish man who has not made the USA or the world a better place to live. He doesn’t realize that most Americans look at him the way we slow down to look at a traffic accident on the highway. We are curious about what happened, and pleased that it’s not us.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:32 pmUh, excuse me Tom, we uh prosecuted people in previous wars over this exact treatment, they’re called uh, war crimes…..Holy crap what is going on?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:35 pmYA BABY
I concur with all of you who propose or agree with the notion that politicians should experience “waterboarding” and other similar acts first hand before they decide what is torture.
Let us include the judges in there as weel, because they will ultimately be the ones who will decide the constitutionality of the Torture Act.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:36 pm“But the person does not have physical damage.â€
Unless, of course, the person experiences lung damage due to water filling the lung cavities or even dies by suffocation as a result.
Other than that, waterboarding is perfectly safe.
Water boarding is a frightening experience.
Exactly. Which is why it can cause severe psychological trauma and has been categorised as torture.
My definition of torture is you physically harm
Mr. Delay, your personal definition of torture is not the definition that international humanitarian organisations have been using for decades.
What you are defending gained the notorious Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia international condemnation.
I just thought you’d like to know what company you keep nowadays,
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:39 pmThen lets start using here in the United States on serial killers, child molesters, and corporate fraudsters.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:41 pmI wouldn’t put it past this lizard to grow gills and survive a waterboarding.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:42 pmHaving him as House Majority Leader should count as torture.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:48 pmhttp://news.yahoo.com/ s/ space/ 20061031/ sc_space/ studyofficebulliescreateworkplacewarzone
“In a recent study, bullied employees likened their experiences to a battle, water torture, a nightmare or a noxious substance.”
I mean if waterboarding is as bad as Office Bullying then I sure as heck am against it.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:49 pmJust sing along: “Later on, we’ll be waterboarding, walking in a fascist wonderland…” Actually, it is very easy to define torture: torture is anything that you would not want to be done to you while you are being held captive in a prison. It’s sort of an extension of the Golden Rule.
Bush and his goosestepping GOP gangsters are going down big time on November 7. The Democrats may win enough seats to have a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives. And since all Appropriations Bills must originate in the House, the Democrats can end the war on Iraq by merely cutting off the money supply. That’s how the Democrats ended the war on Vietnam some thirty years ago.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:50 pmCheers.
Are politicians this stupid, or are they congenital liars? And does that ever speak volumes about the people that vote them into office.
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:57 pmMock executions leave zero physical damage but it is impossible to refute their long-lasting psychological damage.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:00 pmThe thought of it alone makes me wince.
Physical damage is not, by any means, a reliable way to determine what the cusp of torture is.
Every time I hear someone use that “pain / physical damage” BS definition of torture I ask them to do one thing:
The next time you are in the shower, take your washcloth and soak it. Place it over your face, and then put your face directly into the shower’s water stream. Now breathe.
How’s it feel? Think you could do that for 2 minutes? If you can, congratulations! You beat Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who barely lasted 2 minutes before begging to answer questions put to him. Most people last only a few seconds.
If its not torture, then why do the enemies of our nation cave so quickly and completely?
Do unto others…
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:17 pmBoy would I like to give this criminal a “frightening experience.”
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:18 pmReally tommy boy?…well please show us..ok?…I’ll do the dunking.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:23 pmperhaps Mr. DeLay won’t mind then if Ronnie Earle has him waterboarded until he gives up the truth about his money laundering and political corruption operation in Texas?
Are you ready Tom? It’s just a dunk in the water. Kinda like bobbbing for apples when you were a kid.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:23 pm[…] From the Think Progress Blog comes this Tom Delay quote: […]
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:25 pmWhat the hell is going on? Are we in bizzaro world or something? Who says things like that? How did these people ever get control of this country?
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:30 pmi’d like to do the dunking and the boarding on his criminal ass. how long is to long? i have all day to play and the water supply is endless.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:31 pmTHIS is Waterboarding:
http://www.blah3.com/ article.php?story=20061031210550124
Link to video of the procedure by a former Soldier, and two former SERE School Instructors.
Send it to Tom DeLay.
–mf
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:39 pmWhy does this odeous man keep popping up in the news. The only thing I want to hear about him is the status of the criminal investigation against him. His opinion on anything means nothing.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:39 pmThis is waterboarding:
A former US Soldier contracted a pair of former SERE School instructors to demonstrate the technique for the camera… Here it is…
http://www.blah3.com/ article.php?story=20061031210550124
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:41 pmI am not a fan of torture, but I do have to ask this.
I am being serious, so please, no flippant, or crass/crude idiotic remarks.
If you know someone had information that was going to prevent the deaths of your family/spouse/children, how far would YOU go, to get that information?
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:49 pmTechnodaoist,
If its not torture, then why do the enemies of our nation cave so quickly and completely?
I think its important to make the distinction between caving and (not) providing accurate, valuable information.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:49 pmTommy Boy - rent a copy of “Gaslight”. Then try to tell yourself that the only kind of torture is physical torture.
November 2nd, 2006 at 1:59 pm#51, I wouldn’t go to torture. Two reasons:
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:05 pmIt doesn’t work.
It’s wrong.
Evil people are trying to convince you that torture works, and that they just know that these suspects know something! If they can just hurt them enough, they will talk!
This is not my America, and it shouldn’t be yours either. If you are OK with torture, you are not an American.
I’m sure waterboarding would be torture if DeLay saw his mom on the board.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:08 pmTom DeLay’s definition of torturer:
being prosecuted for graft and corruption by Ronnie Earle in his “partisan witch hunt.”
LMFAO!!!
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:10 pmFor this country to be even debating this issue just shows how far down the path of degradation America has gone. God I would hope we were better than this.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:11 pmRight on #54.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:13 pmperhaps DeLay thinks verbal abuse of children is not really abuse? it does not do physical damage… “You’re a worthless little piece of shit!” nope, no harm there…
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:17 pmleftcoast,
I know. The question I keep asking myself is: how low will Americans allow the bar to be lowered in almost every respect while under Republican control? and it unfortunately keeps getting answered, daily.
In some ways it seems as if “we” are waiting for the guilty Republicans to either see it our way or come clean and punish themselves, but they never will. It is up to us to hold them to account (somehow).
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:19 pmTechnodaoist,
If its not torture, then why do the enemies of our nation cave so quickly and completely?
I think its important to make the distinction between caving and (not) providing accurate, valuable information.
Comment by June
It is important. I wasn’t implying that caving in meant they were giving us any relevant information. Far from it. Caving simply means they no longer resist.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:24 pmIf you know someone had information that was going to prevent the deaths of your family/spouse/children, how far would YOU go, to get that information?
Comment by Douglas+G.
A strawman argument, but I will try nonetheless.
I would go to the extent of what the LAW allows (or at least until recently).
Here’s my rebuttal question, so no flippant answers please. How do you KNOW they know? Did you waterboard them?
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:27 pmI’m not really interested in all the bribes that have passed through Tom DeLay’s hands and landed in his pocket.
But I do think he’s a witch, and a little harmless waterboarding would surely persuade this Satan’s spawn to confess his true nature.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:31 pmWho thinks Tom Delay’s view of what is and is not torture is significant? After all, look at how well he defined corruption.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:33 pmWell, that settles it, Tom Delay pronounced waterboarding as appropriate.
November 2nd, 2006 at 2:54 pmLet’s see that it is applied to him when he is interrogated about his many criminal dealings.
Torture is listening to DeLay.
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:03 pmLord, I wish someone would waterboard him. Then he could truly decide if it is torture or not.
Comment by Lynne — November 2, 2006
Bah. That’s exactly what I was going to say. But since you said it first, I’ll give you credit.
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:20 pmWater runs downhill.
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:26 pmDeLay’s career is running downhill.
Tom DeLay is waterboarding himself.
Tom, self mutiliation is a serious mental disorder.
Maybe you could plead insanity & spend the rest of your
miserable life watching Mayberry, RFD, in the commons area
of the institution. In fact, you bear an incredible resmblence
to one of the characters who worked at the local garage.
How about holding you by your ankles and dangling you over the edge of a twenty story building?
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:28 pmI would pay good money to see Tom Delay water-boarded. Someone let me know, I’ll bring popcorn.
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:35 pmWaterboarding isn’t torture, it just makes the person being tortured believe they’re going to die from drowning.
Apparently, part of being a conservative means believing that giving someone full reason to believe they’re going to die on a table in a jail cell is not at all disturbing in any way. Because of how conservatives understand the world, they are incapable of understanding that psychological torture is torture, even though there are no physical wounds being inflicted. They don’t understand the complex nature of human beings, and are incapable of knowing or caring about the results of their actions, unless those actions have direct, visible consequences.
So, as former representative Tom Delay understands the world, no harm has been done because there is no harm being seen with his own eyes.
November 2nd, 2006 at 3:59 pmBeing waterboarded is simply a “frightening” experience. It’s kind of like going to a haunted house, you see. If you want to experience something similar to waterboarding, just go walk through a haunted house.
Hell, we should just put a pumpkin in the corner of the jail cell that is being used for waterboarding and call it a Halloween Festival.
November 2nd, 2006 at 4:02 pmWaterboarding not physically harmful??? i think its best he try it just make sure his right about that…
November 2nd, 2006 at 4:09 pm51, torture doesn’t give any more reliable information than simply asking. It’s not truth syrum. If you torture an innocent person, they’ll lie to make you stop. If you torture someone who has real information, THEY’LL lie, so you will stop and they can avoid telling the truth. Our soldiers overseas were tortured a lot in the past 50 years and seldom revealed more than name, rank, serial number or mis-information. It just doesn’t work. It’s probable that you’ll get better results by winning the prisoner over. That’s how far I’d go.
November 2nd, 2006 at 5:55 pm#54, I appreciate your honest response. I don’t in any way approve of torture, but to be honest, that I would never want to be in the position of having someone in MY custody that I KNEW, beyond the shadow of a doubt, was personally familiar with a terrorist plot.
Technodaoist, no I haven’t waterboarded anyone, nor do I plan to. I was just asking what I believed to be a legitimate question.
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:44 pmLooks like DeLay’s been reading the dictionary again.
November 2nd, 2006 at 7:04 pmThis country puts Ollie North, Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay on TV as senior advisors. Makes me want to puke. And then I think back and remember that the MSM did the same thing with Nixon while he was still alive. Liberal media, my ass.
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:36 pmOne more time, according to the Soviets, waterboarding is an effective means of extracting a confession. That does not mean that you will get any useful information, just that a prisoner will sell their mother down the river to get you to stop.
#75 What the hell are you talking about? Your black and white situation has never and will never occur. Nice try though.
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:45 pmBy the way, why are we discussing what a convicted criminal has to say anyway?
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:55 pm[…] Source: Think Progress Posted by Michael Kolanos Filed in Police State […]
November 3rd, 2006 at 2:59 am[…] Think Progress: […]
November 3rd, 2006 at 11:43 amI wouldn’t be at all surprised if it was found out that Tom DeLay likes to be waterboarded by gay prostitutes, after having consumed plenty of crystal meth. WTFIU with outspoken hypocrites getting any respect whatsoever? Hey, Tom, shut up and go get your lobbying job already. Please invest heavily in it, to maximize your losses after We The People put an end to the despicable practice of allowing corporations more access to Our Congress than ordinary people. Maybe you WERE the Government, but now you’re just a pathetically wealthy man in a country with starving people. Have a clue with your steak tartare, won’t you? And get off your high horse before we knock you off, you poser for Liberty. Maybe you could find something useful to do in Saipan.
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